Here we are. Another attempt at making...at least a semi-horror story of sorts. That depends on how this plays out. Brace yourselves, ladies and gents and everyone else. I'm actually not sure how to rate this due to the possible level of graphic depictions of gore later in the story. Should I rate this as Mature at the get go?

Disclaimer: I do not own MHA (My Hero Academia)

Chapter 01: Silent Contemplation

Izuku looked at the man with a haunting stare, unable to comprehend what he heard. As did Bakugo and Todoroki, both bearing a look of terrified realization.

"All Might…" He walks closer to his mentor, almost in a daze. "No…All Might, please…" He grabs a hold of the bars separating him from Toshinori. "...please, you don't have to do this!" Tears threaten to fall from his verdant eyes. "We can find a way to fix this! We can…"

A solemn smile formed on Toshinori's face, the white veins spreading to his left cheek contorting from the movement. He moves his hand through the bars to take Izuku's cheek tenderly. The warmth of the hand…even when covered with a glove…reminded Izuku of his mother…this caring, familial touch…

"Young Midoriya…I don't have time left anymore," Toshinori said, his eyes glistening with unseen tears. "I'm sorry, son." Fat tears fell from Izuku's eyes, some running along Toshinori's hand and the leather surface of the glove. "I know that you had promised to help me change my fate…so, now…while I'm still me…" He grimaces, biting back a pained shudder as he feels another bout of pain ravaging his body, but keeps his smile up. His glazed over left eye seems to glow. "...While I'm still…Toshinori Yagi…"

Izuku grabs Toshinori's hand and wrist. "All Might…" He starts shaking his head in desperation. "Don't..."

"Please, my boy…let me save you…this one last time…"

Watching from the low balcony of Gym Gamma, Aizawa stood in silence as he monitored his students practicing with their Quirks. A cacophony of explosions, crackling ice, raging fire, sizzling acid, dazzling beams, and more as the fledgling heroes trained.

Aizawa heard coughing off to the side and spots Toshinori walking to him. "All Might," the underground hero acknowledged.

"Hey," Toshinori said when he stopped beside Aizawa. He looks down at the students. "How's everyone doing?"

"Well enough, I'd say," said Aizawa. "Some are trying to break past their limits." A large surge of electricity from below has the teachers look down to see Kaminari now in 'yay' mode with Jiro laughing at him. "With expected results."

"They have a long road ahead of them, but…" Toshinori trailed off as he watched three of Class 1-A's best students practice their moves. Todoroki experimented with both his fire and ice, Bakugo blowing things up as he shouted one profanity after another, and Izuku kicking away falling debris, preventing many from hitting his classmates. Toshinori smiled. "They will be amazing heroes. I just know it."

Aizawa looked at him with bloodshot eyes before he closed them. "They still have room to grow."

"And he still refuses to compliment," Toshinori thought, but his smile never went away. "But, that's Aizawa for you." They stood in silence. At first, it was relaxing. But, as the seconds tick by, Toshinori suddenly felt like Present Mic during Bakugo and Todoroki's remedial course. Granted, Toshinori lasted much longer than Present Mic, but it didn't make it any less stifling. Guess it shows that the retired hero is still somewhat of an extrovert. Perhaps it was due to his public persona. "So, how's Young Shinso's progress?"

"It's going along swell," Aizawa said.

"That's great," Toshinori smiled. "He performed well during the joint training."

"He cooperated well with his teammates and was able to hold his own when confronted. Despite the moment with Midoriya and his Quirk, it was a success." He waited for a response from Toshinori. When the seconds went by with no response, Aizawa glanced at the taller man.

Toshinori was silent, even his smile went away.

Down below, Izuku watched the two men curiously. He wasn't able to hear the conversation due to distance and noise, but deep down, he knew. Toshinori seems…off lately. More withdrawn. Is he still mourning over Nighteye? Is he worried about the state of the world?

All the while, Izuku was unknowingly clutching his chest.

Ochako lowered herself down, taking a deep breath to alleviate any nausea. "Deku? What's wrong? You stopped all of a sudden."

Izuku moves to face her. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I just had a feeling."

Ochako looks at him worriedly. She noticed how he was still clutching his chest, the way his fingers curled into the fabric of his hero costume. Is…he in pain? He doesn't look like it. Was it anxiety? He's not sweating…well, he is sweaty from training, but he doesn't look panicked.

"You're not anxious, are you?" she asked him.

"Oh, no. I'm fine," Izuku assured. He's still clutching his chest.

"But…"

"You might as well save it, Ochako – ribbit," Tsuyu said when she hopped in. "Midoriya could have broken an arm and still insist he's fine."

"Uh?" Izuku squeaked out.

"She's not wrong, bro," Kaminari grinned, back to normal.

Sero leaned on the human lightning bolt. "Yeah, she got you there, Midoriya."

"Huh?!" Izuku exclaimed, finally letting go of his chest.

"No use denying~!" Mina sang, Aoyama posing twinkly behind her.

"Come on, guys! I've been careful!" Izuku cried. "Really!"

Bakugo explodes near Izuku. "Can it, Deku!"

Aizawa silently watches as his students laugh among themselves, albeit at someone else's expense.

"It's amazing to know that this is the same class that faced one hardship after another and yet still smile." He flashes a rare smirk at his colleague. "I wonder where they got that." But Toshinori gave no reply, nor had he moved a muscle nor changed his expression, except for a tightness of his jawline. The man was almost like a statue. The smirk went away as Aizawa eyed the man. "All Might? All Might!" Finally, Toshinori broke out of whatever trance he was in and turned to Aizawa.

"Hm? Did you say something?" he asked honestly. Okay, so he wasn't blatantly ignoring Aizawa, not that he had a reason to.

"…It's nothing."

Sometime later, everyone returned to the dorms for the night. After a round of showers, Class 1-A get together for a hefty dinner in the form of sukiyaki to go with the cold weather outside. Bakugo was forced (translation: aggressively volunteered) to cook because last time, Kaminari and Momo nearly caused a fire. No one was allowed in the kitchen except for him, Tsuyu – who was preparing the dishes – and Todoroki – who was chopping vegetables.

The rest are in the common area. There are two kotatsus out, Sero and Mineta in one eating oranges, and Shouji, Ojiro, and Tokoyami in another playing cards. Eri was there too for dinner, being dropped by Aizawa, who would return before Eri's bedtime. She sat on one of the two couches between Koda and Mina while Ochako and Aoyama sat on the adjacent couch.

Kirishima creeps to the kitchen and breathes in through his nose deeply. "Man, it smells so good! I can't wait."

Kaminari leans in. "Is it done yet? I'm starving!"

"Be patient, Pikachu!" Bakugo snapped.

"Hey, how come I'm the only one being yelled at?" Kaminari questioned.

"Because you're annoying!"

"Hypocrite~," Sero and Mineta said from their spot.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"Bakugo, the sukiyaki—"

"Shut up and chop, Icyhot!"

"He seems lively as ever," Tsuyu thought out loud.

"Shut it, Toad!"

"Ribbit?"

"Ocha, what's sukiyaki?" Eri asked Ochako while Mina braided Eri's hair.

"It's a pot filled with delicious meat, juicy shiitake mushrooms, tender udon noodles, tofu, and finely shredded veggies all simmering in mouthwatering broth," Ochako said, a dribble of saliva hanging off from the corner of her lip.

"You're drooling, Ochako dear," Aoyama said with a twinkle.

"Can we add mochi?" Ochako asked.

"Add it yourself!" Bakugo growled.

"It's a hot dish perfect for weather like this!" Toru said, standing near the windows.

"I hope there is enough for everyone," Momo said, running the bristles of a brush through her hair. "We do have another pot cooking, but it's more of a vegetarian style."

Kaminari makes a face. "Ew, who asked for that?"

"Koda, bigmouth," Jiro chided heatedly from her spot next to Koda.

"Oh, right. Sorry…" Kaminari apologized. Koda gives him a warm smile.

"What's vegataren?" Eri asked.

"It means I don't eat meat," Koda replied.

"Why?"

"It's mainly because of my Quirk. I can talk to animals, so eating meat feels awkward to me."

"Is it wrong to eat meat?" Eri asked with a tilt of her head.

"No, not necessarily! It's an easy source for protein!"

"Yeah!" Kirishima exclaimed, appearing behind the coach. "And you're gonna need that to grow big and strong!" He flexes his bicep for emphasis. "Right, Midoriya? ...Midoriya?"

Everyone in the common area glances over to where their resident fanboy sat, one of the armchairs. He seemed lost in thought. And Ochako noticed his hand over his chest again.

Aoyama could sense her worry and tries to get Midoriya's attention. "Sucré garcon Midoriya." Izuku gave no response, much to his confusion. "Midoriya? Midoriya!"

"Huh?" He notices everyone staring at him. "…What?"

"You had your joli petite tête in the clouds, mon ami," Aoyama said.

"What?" Ochako wondered out loud.

Kirishima sighs in relief. "Had me worried for a sec."

Izuku smiles awkwardly. "Sorry about that."

"Are you sure you've been feeling okay today, Deku?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Izuku said. Ochako gave him a suspicious look and moved close to him to touch his forehead with the palm of her hand. Izuku blushed from the closeness. "U-Uraraka?"

Ochako's tiny brows furrowed together. "You do feel a little warm."

"Warm?" Tenya asked from out of nowhere. "I'll go get the thermometer!" He dashes off to retrieve the item.

"Guys! I'm okay! Really!" Izuku reassured them. "I'm probably still hot from my shower!" He was silenced as Tenya put the thermometer in his mouth. Everyone waited for the item to take Izuku's temperature. Izuku smiles nervously again before the thermometer beeped and Tenya takes it.

37.7 Celsius.

"Not exactly a low-grade fever yet but…" Tenya muttered. "Midoriya! You are at this moment put under dormroom arrest for the night!"

"WHAT?!" Izuku exclaimed. "But, didn't you just say that it isn't a fever?"

"You can never be too careful!" Tenya said, chopping his arm up and down. "Besides, knowing you, you would evidently push yourself to a full-blown fever."

"He's not wrong," Jiro said to Koda, who nodded sagely.

"But…" Izuku protested until Eri spoke.

"I had a bad fever before I came here. Mr. Aizawa said I worked too hard, and it made me sick," she said. A pinged of guilt struck through Izuku's heart. She was referring to when she used her Rewind Quirk on him so he could use One for All at 100%. "If you are sick, then you should rest."

"What are you waiting for, ya damn nerd?" Bakugo shouted. "Get your ass to your room!"

"Bakugo! Language!" Tenya gasped like a scolding parent, using his quick speed to hurry and cover Eri's ears.

"Then get moving, Deku!"

"A-Alright! I'm going!" Izuku said as he headed for the stairs.

"We'll bring you a bowl once it's done, Midoriya!" Momo said.

"Thanks!"

Residents of the Hero Course Teacher's dorm were also preparing for dinner: some simple rice and curry, courtesy of Nemuri, coupled with alcohol for some. Despite being the dorm parents of 1A, Aizawa and Toshinori decided to join in. Same is said for Vlad King and Nezu, the dorm parents of 1B.

"Whoo! Yeah, baby!" Hizashi cheered, raising a mug of beer.

"What are you celebrating, Hizashi?" Aizawa asked.

"To another day of being alive!" Hizashi grinned.

Cementoss nodded. "As the old saying goes, tomorrow isn't a promise."

"You got it, my blocky friend!" Hizashi goes for another drink of beer. He, and Aizawa, notices Toshinori standing at the windows, looking out with a neutral gaze. "Yo, Yagi!" Toshinori turns to face Hizashi. "Wanna come join us? Nezu brewed up some herbal tea for ya and Nems almost done with the curry!"

Toshinori remained silent for a moment before giving Hizashi a small smile. "Thank you, but I'm gonna have to decline the offer. On the food, I mean. I'm…not hungry. In fact, I'm a little tired. I think I'm gonna rest a little. There's somewhere I need to be tomorrow, anyways. Please, go on and enjoy your night."

Everyone watched silently as the older man headed out to return to the 1A dorm.

"...Wait. Yagi doesn't feel hunger anymore, does he?" Thirteen asked. "Is it wise for him to skip a meal?"

"He's a grown man," Aizawa said. "He's capable of making his own decisions, no matter how irrational."

"That's a little cold, Sho, don't you think?" Hizashi frowned. "You're worried too, I know you are."

"...Drink your piss booze, Mic."

"Why are you now cold to me?!"

The first to see Toshinori return was Ochako.

"Oh! Back already, All Might?" she asked. "Did you forget something?"

Toshinori shook his head. "No, Young Uraraka. I'm just going to turn in for the night."

"Already? But, it's, like, six-something," Mina said. "Even Bakugo doesn't go to bed that early."

"That's what happens when you're old," Toshinori said.

"If that's the case, Bakugo might go to bed at six o'clock by the time he's 60," Sero grinned.

"You're not that old, All Might," Hagakure said.

Toshinori smiled. "Old enough. Besides, there's someplace I gotta be tomorrow morning and I figured to go ahead and get things ready."

"Then, we won't keep you waiting," Ochako said. "Have a good night, All Might."

"Thank you," Toshinori said. He looks around, looking for the familiar mop of green hair, but sees no sign. Tsuyu took notice of this.

"If you're looking for Midoriya, he's back in his room," she said.

Toshinori hides his fluster. "...I wasn't looking for him specifically…I am surprised to not see him though." Izuku would've been the first to greet the man.

"That's because he was sent up after we checked his temperature–ribbit," Tsuyu said.

"Temperature? Is Young Midoriya ill?" Toshinori tries to remember back during the training to see if maybe Izuku had shown signs of being sick. However, whatever possible signs may be could easily be just from Izuku training, like sweating and loss of breath.

"His temperature wasn't too high, but we didn't want to take any chances."

"I see. Well, good on you all for looking out for one another," Toshinori said. The students smiled at the man's praise. "I'd best be going now. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room."

"Wait, Mr. Yagi!" Eri exclaimed. "Do you want us to save you some of the sukiyaki too?"

Toshinori's first thought was to decline the offer, as he wouldn't be able to eat anything until he returns, but seeing Eri's hopeful expression made him think twice.

"...If you can, save me a small bowl. I don't need a hefty amount. I'll probably eat some of it in the morning." Unfortunately, such a meal is going to have to wait until later. "Good night, kids."

"Good night!"

Toshinori sighs softly and turns on the light in his dorm room. It, along with Aizawa and Eri's rooms, are structured slightly differently compared to the student dorms. There were no balconies, as the rooms are at ground level, and they each have a private bathroom.

Toshinori headed to said bathroom with a sunflower printed watering can – a dorm warming gift of sorts – he picked up from a nearby dresser. He filled the can up in the bathroom's sink. He then took the can to his myriad of house plants – which consisted of succulents, cacti, ivies, bamboo, etc. – near the window, each with a name. Names that Toshinori didn't give them, actually. In fact, he wasn't one to name his plants when he started caring for him.

The honor went to his students.

It happened when everyone moved into the dorms. As Toshinori had one working arm at the time, the students helped him setting things up in his room, including getting his plants in and putting them and his grow lights on the plant stand near the window. When Hagakure asked the names of the plants, Toshinori replied that he didn't. So, the students took it upon themselves to help with the naming of the plants.

Just to name a few, we have Esmeralda the Ivy (named by Mina), Chloe the aloe vera (named by Momo), Vert the fern (named by Aoyama), and a cactus called King Lord Prickles Murder (named by Bakugo).

And last, but not least, an Echeveria Lotus named Lottie.

Lottie was the newest addition to the family, being a gift from Eri during a time when she was understanding the concept of birthdays and wanted to give a present to each person in the dorm and Lottie, of course, was given to Toshinori, despite their birthdays being already past or hasn't come yet.

It was precious, nevertheless, and Toshinori didn't mind.

"Good evening, everyone," he said to the plants. "I know it's a bit early, but I'll be turning in shortly and I want to make sure you all are taken care of."

He goes on to tend to the plants, the act of which that had been therapeutic over the last several years and now listening to the muffled cacophony of the students preparing for dinner.

This new norm…was comforting to Toshinori. Comforted to know that his students are alright, comforted to know that they are not in harm's way and safe, and…comforted to know that he is not alone.

Tonight…is a nice night…

{...and the Lurkers were successful in catching the criminal. Despite the rise of criminal activities, heroes are working hard around the clock to keep the peace left behind by All Might…}

Hajime Goda mutes the television, letting silence fill his dark apartment. His listless eyes glazed over the muted screen, seeing Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods speaking to the reporter.

He didn't need to know what they were saying. It's usually the same stuff.

Hajime removes himself from his coach, his sweatpants and hoodie ruffling from the movement. His bare feet padded against the wood flooring as he walked away from the living room area and headed to the kitchen, where a box was placed on the dinner table.

The box was smooth, dark mahogany wood and accented with gold. Engraved in the top of the lid in an old English style were a few symbols resembling letters.

Δoνυμ Δεαε

The triangles were given added details and the letters were clearly not Japanese, but Hajime didn't care. He knew exactly what it said.

He goes to open the box.

Inside was a hand-sized canister, filled with a liquid in a light shade of blue that seems to glow slightly in the dark.

Hajime gazed down at the illuminating substance through his long, greasy dark hair with a dull look in his eyes.

Then…he smiled, the corners of his lips stretched outwards.

"...Tomorrow…"